Friday, December 01, 2006
WP: Grass-Roots Condom Distribution
The Post offers this story on a coalition effort by several non-profits in DC to distribute condoms. The distribution program, which will run for two months in Wards 7 and 8, is intended as a demonstration program for the District government. Though this story is not specifically about H Street, or Trinidad, I think it has citywide implications for DC considering our very high HIV infection rate. Here's the website for the program (Life Guard).
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6 comments:
Hmmmmm.....
We don't have a problem with that on Parker Street. On any given Saturday morning, there are plenty of used condoms strewn around the sidewalks and gutters.
Better condoms than needles. And I'll see your sidewalks and gutters, and raise you one roof top.
I was looking at the requirements for getting married in the District...one is you have to take a syphilis test. Given the emphasis on getting everyone tested, they should make HIV testing a requirement, too.
might as well get an HIV test to get plates at DMV then....
The syphilis test is basically a holdover from a long time ago (probably before syphilis became easily curable). Databases that track people with HIV, which is basically what you'd be building if you required people to get an HIV test to obtain a marriage license, are not so popular. databases tend to make a lot of people nervous because the potential for the information to fall into the wrong hands and be misused is so great. Plus, I'm not sure what you would gain with such a requirement.
I think a major goal of testing advocates is to get us to the point that doing it becomes something routinue. Hopefully if we build the habit of getting tested regularly testing will become not only automatic, but not a big deal (maybe then you won't have the same level of people who avoid getting tested because they fear the outcome).
oh yeah!
and make sure that your significant other is a legal citizen too!
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